Smith's music relies heavily on digital sampling and crosses many genres, forming a combination of "glitchy hip-hop beats, buzzing synth lines, and vintage funk and soul samples.". Pretty Lights' sound is generated by manipulating samples and organic beats using the Novation X-Station, monome and the Akai MPD32. Smith uses these digital controllers to program the music production software Ableton Live 8. When performing live, Smith uses two Macbook Pros running Ableton Live 8 and two Akai MPD32s. Smith usually considers his music as "Electro Hip-Hop Soul", a mix between elements of electronic based music, and beats from hip-hop and soul music.
Pretty Lights released A Color Map of the Sun on July 2, which is Grammy nominated for the Best Dance/Electronic Album . The two-CD collection contain the 13-song album A Color Map of the Sun plus a second album, Live Studio Sessions From A Color Map of the Sun.
A Color Map of the Sun builds on the original Pretty Lights sound and style that Smith pioneered. He spent a year composing and recording music and vocals that emulated genres and time periods that spanned the last century, then pressed it to vinyl. He used that vinyl along with a custom built analog modular synth to create A Color Map of the Sun. The resulting album is analog electronica – soulful, electro hip-hop that pays respect to music’s immense power to touch listeners emotionally, kinetically and inspirationally.
For more information and to download all Pretty Lights albums at no cost, visit http://www.prettylightsmusic.com.
Flitting between moody downtempo and upbeat, densely layered material geared for club play, Colorado's Pretty Lights was the project of Derek Vincent Smith. Smith spent his high school years making hip-hop and ultimately dropped out of his freshman year at the University of Colorado at Boulder to focus on his music. He made his recorded debut as Pretty Lights in 2006 with the full-length Taking Up Your Precious Time, which he supported with gigs for acts including STS9, the Disco Biscuits, and Widespread Panic. From there, he kept up a busy release schedule for the rest of the 2000s, issuing the double album Filling Up the City Skies in 2008 and another full-length, Passing by Behind Your Eyes, the following year. In 2010, Pretty Lights went on an extensive North American tour, playing that year's Coachella, Ultra, Movement, and Electric Zoo festivals, among other stops. Smith continued touring into 2011 and also developed his Pretty Lights Music imprint, releasing albums by Michal Menert, Gramatik, and Eliot Lipp. In 2012, Smith appeared in the music documentary Re:GENERATION Music Project and began work on Pretty Lights' fourth album. Instead of sampling existing recordings, Smith worked with longtime drummer Adam Deitch, Soulive's Eric Krasno, the Harlem Gospel Choir, and members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Treme Brass Band to create vintage-sounding original music that he then refashioned into the Pretty Lights sound. The results were 2013's A Color Map of the Sun, which became the first Pretty Lights album to be released physically and digitally at the same time. ~ Heather Phares & Andy Kellman, Rovi
So Bright
Pretty Lights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So bright, so bright, I forgot I'm blind
The light shining bright
So bright, so bright, I forgot I'm blind
Something is changing my light
Ain't stoppin' it, Ain't stoppin' it, stoppin' it
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Don't leave me
Just another minute while I pull enough people
In here so I can chance to make another verse
Or question that never comes abstracted
Pop lock give mother earth to the break or
The part in the seas where the face round make rounds
Shakedowns and I take a mother fucker out ease
Mother fucker out E-Z-A sliding
Any time I'm ready give a second to misstep
Slicing and dicing and dicing that bright lightenergy infinitive
Definitive, that great light energy infinitive, definitive
However, if you will have wailed, have wailed
If you will have wailed, eee have wailed
If you will have wailed, eee have wailed
Reppin' and put the niggah pretty light I'm with
I thought, I might as well give in cause it ain't stoppin'
I said, I said I might die as well, die
I said, I said I might die as well, die
I said, I said I might die as well
The song "So Bright" by Pretty Lights is a powerful and vibrant track, filled with energy and rhythmic flow. The lyrics, "The light shining bright so bright, I forgot I'm blind" conveys a sense of transcendence and a loss of awareness in the moment of pure, unadulterated joy. The singer seems to be lost in the light, in the euphoria of the moment, and is hoping that the experience lasts for just a little longer.
The chorus of the song is repeated several times, "Ain't stoppin' it, ain't stoppin' it, stoppin' it," and this suggests that the singer is completely overtaken by the moment and is unwilling to let it go. The lyrics also contain references to hip-hop culture, with the phrases "Pop lock give mother earth to the break or" and "Reppin' and put the niggah pretty light I'm with." These lyrics aim to bring a sense of authenticity and cultural diversity to the song, making it accessible to a wider audience.
In conclusion, Pretty Lights' "So Bright" is a thrilling and inspiring track that evokes a sense of hope, happiness, and wonder. The lyrics capture the essence of the moment and are beautifully layered over the music to create a cohesive whole.
Line by Line Meaning
The light is shining bright
The brightness of the light is intense
So bright, so bright, I forgot I'm blind
The brightness is so overwhelming, it makes one forget their own blindness
Something is changing my light
There is an external force making changes to the light
Ain't stoppin' it, Ain't stoppin' it, stoppin' it
There is no stopping the external force affecting the light
Don't leave me
The artist is afraid of being left alone in the darkness
Just another minute while I pull enough people
The singer is trying to gather others to share the experience of the bright light
In here so I can chance to make another verse
The singer wants to create more art inspired by the experience of the bright light
Or question that never comes abstracted
The artist is considering abstract questions and ideas that arise from the experience
Pop lock give mother earth to the break or
The artist is suggesting a dance move that gives back to the earth
The part in the seas where the face round make rounds
There is a part of the ocean where circular currents are formed
Shakedowns and I take a mother fucker out ease
The singer is confident in their ability to handle difficult situations with ease
Mother fucker out E-Z-A sliding
The artist continues to suggest an easy escape from danger
Any time I'm ready give a second to misstep
The singer is prepared to handle any potential missteps
Slicing and dicing and dicing that bright light energy infinitive
The singer is using creative metaphors to describe the power of the bright light
Definitive, that great light energy infinitive, definitive
The singer is emphasizing the definitive nature of the bright light's energy
However, if you will have wailed, have wailed
If someone wants to express their emotions loudly, they are free to do so
If you will have wailed, eee have wailed
The artist is encouraging people to be true to their emotions
Reppin' and put the niggah pretty light I'm with
The singer is identifying with and representing the 'pretty light' they are experiencing
I thought, I might as well give in cause it ain't stoppin'
The singer has decided to surrender to the experience and enjoy it
I said, I said I might die as well, die
The intensity of the bright light is so overwhelming, the artist feels they may die from it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan Lofstrom
Never have I heard an electronic artist put this much soul and variety into their music. Pretty Lights is a visionary and a genius.
Dimitri Woiciechowski
he is abaolutely amazing
mariahlealea
Derek Vincent Smith, you will never lose your class. Mad respect. As always, the best choice in samples. Eligh is such a talented rapper.
robelsynthesia
That was incredible!!! A mash of styles that just sounded insanely good together!!
James B.
this music is just so original and chill, its why i keep coming back for pretty lights
HeadyTunes.co
To make things clear, the track is now officially available on the Pretty Lights website. It leaked and we purchased a copy via Beatport. If you want to show some extra support, purchase the track on Beatport or donate directly. If not, and as always, download it for free. For those of you shouting mindless comments, the track was always available for free in the description under 'BUY'. Look a little harder next time.
Fueltilities
Derek needs so much more recognition. His music sounds more unique and original than anything else out there put out by mainstream dj's these days!
Way2Dylagent
I feel like he purposefully stays out of the spotlight. Considering people on his label have more views them him. He makes a killing on tours and he's nominated for a grammy. Plus he's one of he m the first instance of a highly successful Indy artist
Deprogrammer1
The moment i heard one song from Pretty Lights i was addicted. Very great perception of mixing sounds :)
jfunkcrypto
Still listening 2022. Derek was inspirational with his vision and beats. The soul is still vibing to this very day.